ABSTRACT
While in the Define phase, the Lean Six Sigma team
needs to establish the cause of their problem and set
the boundaries of the problem. The team should use the
Define phase to picture the process over time and pro-
vide insight about where the focus of improvement
efforts should be. In this case, we already know that the
improvement should be about trailer utilization, but what
are the other factors that relate to trailer utilization? During
the Define phase, it is critical to define who the custom-
ers are, what their requirements for trailer utilization are,
and what their expectations are. These requirements and
expectations are also known as the critical-to-satisfaction
(CTS) characteristics. By using a high-level process map,
the Supplier-Input-Process-Output-Customer (SIPOC)
diagram, they will also define the project’s boundaries,
the process(es) to improve, and what to improve. So, let’s
get back to the case.
